Eating or drinking food or beverages in such a way that makes others uncomfortable

Not wearing shoes

Loud talking or banging on furniture

Using devices without headphones or headphones set at a loud volume

Bringing sleeping bags, bed-rolls, or blankets into the building

Parking a bicycle, shopping cart or other wheeled cart in any area other than designated bike rack

Warrants immediate order to leave

Any physical interference with patrons or staff

Any illegal activity

Any threatening or abusive language or gesture directed toward patrons or staff

The lack of personal hygiene or use of perfume or fragrance which produces odors that interfere with other patrons' use of library facilities or staff members' ability to perform duties

Failure to comply with warning or request to change or stop conduct.

Source: Newport Beach staff report

NEWPORT BEACH – City library employees will now be able to ask people to leave if they interfere with other customers, hang out too long on the sofa or even if they have a bad odor.

A new policy, approved Tuesday night by a unanimous City Council with Leslie Daigle absent, also has rules against bikes being parked or locked anywhere other than bike racks.

The regulations were prompted by concerns about library users who continually misuse the library facilities, argue with staff when confronted about sleeping or lounging on the furniture or park bikes and shopping carts in front of entrances.

There was no council discussion of the new regulations.

The rules, approved last year by the library board, give library staff the authority to order a visitor to leave if that person violates one of several rules: Any physical interference with customers or staff, illegal activity, use of threatening or abusive language, lack of personal hygiene or use of perfume that produces odors that interfere with other customers' use of library facilities, or failure to comply with warnings to stop or change conduct.

Visitors are also prohibited from eating or drinking in a manner that makes customers or staff members uncomfortable.

"The library is being used by people who think they have the right to camp there," said Newport Beach resident George Schroeder. "I support what we can do to uphold the use of our public libraries."

While no residents spoke against the library regulations, one resident opposed the bike rules.

Dan Purcell, who lives in Corona del Mar, said the city doesn't have enough bike racks.

He said he rides his bike to the Central Library for city meetings and the racks are not compatible with his bike.

"I think this policy is misguided," he said.

Purcell pointed out that City Manager Dave Kiff also rides his bike to some of the meetings at the library, but he parks his bike inside the building. That is no longer allowed under the new policy.

"I plead the Fifth," Kiff said when asked to comment on the item.

After the meeting, Kiff said he would comply with the new policy and park his bicycle in the bike racks.

The ordinance is part of the city's Homeless Task Force and the group's look into quality-of-life issues for residents. The task force is addressing a large homeless population in Lions Park, and has since removed a railing and picnic structure at the park where many homeless locked their belongings.

The city has had numerous complaints about bicycles attached to poles, fire hydrants and bus and park benches around the city, often blocking walkways at city parks or in the street, officials said.

That Costa Mesa ordinance still has to go through a second reading before it is finalized. Both cities have received complaints about transients misusing city property and in some cases damaging it.

In Newport, one transient leans his bike on the Central Library building and scratches it, Purcell said. Simply putting plugs on the bicycle's handles would solve that problem, he added.

Other rules in the new policy target noise and other disruptions.

Listening to audio too loudly or talking on a cellphone too loudly will warrant a warning and a possible order to leave the facility.

The new rules take effect at all four of the city's libraries: Central Library, Mariners Branch, Balboa Branch and Corona del Mar Branch.

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